AUGUSTA, Ga ()- Local authorities are aiming to reduce incidents of distracted driving. As per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving is responsible for approximately 9 percent of fatal accidents.

This year in Richmond County, there have been about 3,700 accidents, with roughly 35 attributed to distracted driving. The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office is taking firm action.

“Since mid-February, officers have been actively enforcing the laws. So far, they’ve issued over 156 citations specifically for distracted driving,” stated Captain Michael Lewis from the RCSO Traffic Division.

It’s easy to be tempted to check your phone when a notification comes in. But most smartphones have a feature that will help remove that temptation.

“At the same time, you can also go into the iPhone and set up driving focus or do not disturb and have it automatically come on. So it’ll sense the motion in the car. It will know that you’re driving and it will come on itself so you don’t have to manually do it,” Lewis explained.

According to a study done by AAA, people may not use the “Do Not Disturb” feature because they believe they won’t have access to music or navigation features. Others don’t know they have the feature. And many people don’t use it because of “Fear of Missing Out” on an important call or text.

“A lot of people do a lot of business. Unfortunately, sometimes, you know, when you’re going up and down I-20 or different roads like that, you can get a lot done if you’re on the phone,” said Brian Prince, a driving instructor at Brock’s Drivers Education.

Prince believes the “Do Not Disturb” feature is a great tool, saying driving is the most dangerous thing people do everyday and they need to focus.

“The best feature right now that phones have because it doesn’t allow the phone to vibrate. It doesn’t, of course, allow it to ring or even allow it to light up. So you can’t even look at it,” he explained.

For those who don’t have the “Do Not Disturb” feature, there are apps like “Drivemode Dash” or “OnMyWay” that automatically disable alerts when you are driving.